Platform shoe construction and shank therefor



April 25, 1950 a. M. DAMON 2,505,706

PLATFORM SHOE CONSTRUCTION AND SHANK THEREFOR Filed June 23, 1949INVENTOR. Qaz-dwcr/Z 00222202? Patented Apr. 25, 1950 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE PLATFORM SHOE CONSTRUCTION AND SHANK THEREFOR ApplicationJune 23, 1949, Serial No. 100,858

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoes of the platform type, and isconcerned more particularly with improvements in the construction ofsuch shoes in the region where the thick platform sole joins the shank.

In platform shoes of the high-heeled open shank type wherein a platformor sole of substantial thickness is employed in the forepart of theshoe, with the thickened forepart merging smoothly into a shank ofconventional thickness, it is found that any flexing action that takesplace is concentrated at the junction of shank and forepart, since thestiffness of the thick platform prevents normal flexing throughout theforepart. This concentration of flexing stresses has presented adistinct problem in securing properly the shank and forepart, so as toprevent relative twisting between the parts.

To overcome these difficulties and to provide a form of constructionwhich permits adequate flexing while supporting the parts againstlateral twisting or distortion, the present invention contemplates theprovision of a novel form of shank construction and mode of connectionto the forepart of the shoe. tion has a feature the provision of aconstruction wherein the steel shank at least partially embraces orengages the thick platform sole and thereby effectively locks theplatform and steel shank against relative twisting movement.

As a further feature, the improved construction is simple andinexpensive, and requires no special techniques or modification of usualshoe making procedure in order to take advantage of the resultingbenefits.

In the drawings illustrating the invention according to a preferredembodiment, Fig. 1 is a view in sectional elevation of a platform shoeembodying the invention; Fig. 2 is an oblique view of the improved shankstiffener; Fig. 3 is a top view of a shoe with a portion of the insolecut away to shoe the construction at the junction of shank and forepart;and Fig. 4 is a corresponding bottom View, with a portion of the outsolecut away in the vicinity of the junction of steel shank and platformsole.

The shoe illustrated in the drawings is in its general construction andarrangement, of more or less conventional design, embodying an upperIii, insole i2, and outsole I4. Intermediate the insole and outsole atthe forepart of the shoe is a thick platform sole I 6 which may beformed of compressed cork or other suitable material. The platform soleis provided with substantially straight-wall sides and forepart but isbeveled at More specifically, this invenits rear edge, as is usual inplatform shoe construction, in order that the shank portion of the shoemay merge smoothly with the outsole.

To impart the necessary stiffness to the shank of the shoe and to insureadequate rigidity between heel and forepart in spite of the thin sectionin the region of the shank, a steel shank is employed, in accordancewith usual practice. Such shank is formed to the desired contour for theshoe and is hardened in order to provide maximum strength. At its upperor heel end 20, the shank may be forked and provided with apertures 22to receive the usual staple 24.

At its lower end, unlike arrangements hitherto existing, the shank isarranged to engage the thick platform sole in such a manner as tosubstantially resist twisting or lateral distortion but withoutinterfering with the required flexing action that takes place inwalking. For this purpose, the shank end is provided with a fork ortongue 26 which is pressed or struck up from the surrounding portion 28of the material, thus providing diverging portions which engage both thetop and the oblique rear edge of the platform. Preferably, as shown inFig. 1, the portions 24 and 26 will diverge at an angle corresponding tothe acute angle formed by the beveled platform. In the'illustrativeembodiment, the central tongue portion 26, which curves forwardly andoutwardly from the body of the steel shank, overlies the platform, whilethe side portions of the shank extend downwardly along the beveled edgeof the platform substantially to the bottom surface thereof.

The provision of this improved form of steel shank interferes in no waywith the construction of the shoe, which may be carried out in the usualmanner. It will be apparent, however, that the engagement between thevertically forked end of the steel shank with the rear portion of thethick platform sole, provides a connection which is relatively resistantto twisting, yet does not prevent normal flexing action to take placebetween the shank and the forepart of the shoe during walking.

While the invention has been described in terms of a steel shank, theforward end of which is formed by striking up a central tongue portionto overlie the top surface of the platform, it will be understood thatforked engagement with intersecting surfaces at the rear of the platformmay be accomplished by interchanging the relative position of tongue andadjacent portions of the end of the shank to provide substantially theequivalent form of engagement.

Having thus described the invention in terms of a preferred but by nomeans exclusive embodiment thereof, I claim as my invention:

1. A steel shank for platform shoes comprising a body portion curved toconform to the contour of the shank of the shoe and having at itsforward end integral diverging portions adapted to embfafce both the topand the beveled rear edge portion of a platform 501e,.

2. A steel shank for platform shoes comprising a body portion curved toconform to the coh= tour of the shank of the shOe and having at one enda tongue portion diverging outwardly and forwardly from the :body of theshank to overlie the platform sole. r w A v 3. A steel shank forplatform shoes ompr s ing a body having a curved portion to conform tothe contour of the shank of the shoe, the shank at its forward endhaving a central integral tongue portion diverging outwardly andforwardly 1 from the remaining portion of the shank, the incliided anglebetween tongue and adjacent end portion correspondin substantially tothe angle between the top and the beveled rear edge of a platform sole.

4. In a platform shoe having a thick platform sole intermediate theinsole and the outsole of the shoe at the forepart, a steel shankstiffener curved to conform to the contour of the shank of the shoe andhaving at its forward end an integral tongue portion diverging from thebody of the shank and overlying the platform at the rear thereof, theside portions of the shank ends being substantially aligned with andextending downwardly along the beveled rear edge of the platform.

5. In a platform shoe having a thick platform so-le intermediate theinsole and the outsole at the foiepart of the shoe, a steel shankstiffener having a contour corresponding to the shank of the shoe; thesteel shank having at its forward end integral diverging portionsengaging both top and rear edge portions of the platform sole.

GARDNER M. DAMON.

No references cited

